S-0544.1                   _______________________________________________

                                                     SENATE BILL 5256

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Senators Sutherland, McCaslin and Erwin

Read first time 01/20/93.  Referred to Committee on Government Operations.

Restricting the use of city or town facilities to advocate for or against an annexation.

          AN ACT Relating to annexation by cities and towns; amending RCW 35.13.350 and 35A.14.550; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The decision to annex territory to a city or town is a political decision of the affected persons and the annexing city or town.  It is the policy of this state to prohibit the use of public facilities to influence political campaigns and ballot propositions.  It is the intent of the legislature that this prohibition be extended to prohibit the use of public facilities, including physical resources, employees, and the granting of reduced charges for services, to influence affected persons in deciding how to vote or whether to sign a petition to annex territory to a city or town.

        Sec. 2.  RCW 35.13.350 and 1989 c 351 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

          A city or town can provide factual public information on the effects of a pending annexation proposed for the city or town.  A city or town may not use any public facilities, including physical resources, employees, and the granting of reduced charges for services to advocate for or against a proposed annexation whether such annexation is by the election method as provided in RCW 35.13.015 through 35.13.110 or the petition method as provided in RCW 35.13.125 through 35.13.160.

        Sec. 3.  RCW 35A.14.550 and 1989 c 351 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:

          A code city can provide factual public information on the effects of pending annexation proposed for the code city.  A code city may not use any public facilities, including physical resources, employees, and the granting of reduced charges for services to advocate for or against a proposed annexation whether such annexation is by the election method as provided in RCW 35A.14.015 through 35A.14.100 or the petition method as provided in RCW 35A.14.120 through 35A.14.150.

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